When sperm becomes a donor : transitions in parents views of the sperm donor. Astrid Indekeu KU Leuven (Belgium) Psychologist - Sexologist PhD-student in Biomedical Sciences astrid.indekeu@med.kuleuven.be 1
Outline Introduction Research aim & methods Results Conclusion Implications Introduction DI= owe the existence of offspring to a third party How do parents give meaning to the donor? How do they manage genitor and pater? Very little research 1-4 Is it relevant? => choice of donor, disclosure decision, level of donor information, contact with the donor Why? General neglect of the donor 5 2
Introduction What do we know? AMBIVALENCE Negated donor vs. donor who appears as person Saviours and satyrs Genetics = irrelevant and relevant Nuanced = snapshot studies Introduction Belgian context Tax-funded general health system, free access to high-medical care (Royal Decree, 2003) Donation sperm, eggs, embryo= allowed Adheres to donor anonymity (Embryo law, 2007) Mandatory to offer counselling (Embryo law, 2007) No existence of national donor conception consumer group Culture: biological parenthood = real parenthood (men) 3
Research aim To get insight into change and consistency in parents thinking, meanings, feelings about the donor Using a qualitative methodology Looked at different stages of family cycle: Last trimester of pregnancy 3 months after birth 1.5-2 years after birth (toddler age) Results: Non-Disclosing 6-9 Mths pregnant => 3 Mths after birth => Toddler Awareness Donor = means to create their child, their family Involvement & existence stops at birth Awareness level = consistent Position Non-existent Information Prior birth = important for physical appearance 4
Results: Disclosing 6-9 Mths pregnant => 3 Mths after birth => Toddler Awareness Increase: depersonalised - pervasive - part of everyday life How? Anxiety (donor, partner, offspring) relief/ no time / click / ressemblance remarks offspring s life/ family-friends-society/ confidence (actual parenting/ attachment) Results: Disclosing 6-9 Mths pregnant => 3 Mths after birth => Toddler Position How? Adultery : intruder in partner relationship => decreases Rivalry : for position of the father => threat distractor Adultery: birth =beginning of their baby, their family Rivalry: threatening for expecting father focus on bonding with child (relief, less donor) actual parenting: confidence through feeling attachment 5
Results: Disclosing Donor information 6-9 Mths pregnant => 3 Mths after birth => Toddler Being important for me as parent => being important to offspring How? Insecurity and safety about DI/ anonymous donor Relief / Experiencing bond Confidence through actual parenting/ parent s need second Discomfort with donor anonymity Balance between enough information donor becomes a person Conclusion Non-disclosing couples Consistency Women-men differences in pace Differences in couples Disclosing couples Process from negating to part of family, from adultery/threat to distractor, information for parent to offspring Fear-relief-confidence ~ stage of family cycle Women-men differences in pace Differences in couples 6
Implications Research In light of results on recipients pre-treatment Follow-up research: explore process features! Parent s views donor s view offspring s view Differences between men and women DI versus egg recipients Influence of sperm bank profiles Implications Clinical practice Impact on meaning of donor information => donor anonymity normal anxiety in transition to fatherhood ~ anxiety triggered by DI Need for follow-up counselling (birth= transformative) 7
Acknowledgements All the participants Staff of Leuven University Fertility Centre (LUFC) Supervisors: Prof. P. Rober, Context - Institute for Family and Sexuality Studies, KU Leuven, Belgium Prof. T. D Hooghe, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven University Fertility Centre, KU Leuven, Belgium Prof. K. Dierickx, Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, KU Leuven, Belgium Prof. K. Daniels, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand References 1. Kirkman M. Saviours and satyrs: ambivalence in narrative of sperm provision. Cult health Sex 2004;6:319-335. 2. Grace V, Daniels K. The (ir)relevance of genetics: engendering parallel worlds of procreation and reproduction. Soc Health Ill 2007;29:692-710 3. Grace V, Daniels K, Gillett W. The donor, the father, and the imaginary constitution of the family: Parents constructions in the case of donor insemination. Soc Sci Med 2008;66:301-314. 4. Burr J. Fear, fascination and the sperm donor as abjection in interviews with heterosexual recipients of donor insemination. Sociol Health Ill 2009;31:705-718. 5. Van den Broeck, U., Vandermeeren, M., Vanderschueren, D., Enzlin, P., Demyttenaere, K., D'Hooghe, T. (2013). A systematic review of sperm donors: demographic characteristics, attitudes, motives and experiences of the process of sperm donation. Human reproduction update, 19(1), 37-51. 8